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The Chase (episode)
Picard tries to finish his old archaeology teacher's monumental last mission: solving a puzzle that leads Humans, Romulans, Klingons and Cardassians to the secret of life in this galaxy, revealing the origin of humanoid life. Summary Teaser While the is studying protostars in the Volterra Nebula, Captain Picard receives an unexpected visit from Richard Galen, a reclusive professor, and personal mentor of his, from Starfleet Academy. In the Enterprise s observation lounge, Galen gives the captain a rare archaeological gift, a Kurlan naiskos, and encourages him to take a leave of absence from Starfleet to go on an expedition of vast importance to the galaxy. Act One Picard and Galen sit together in Ten Forward. Galen urges him to accept, telling Picard that when he announces his findings, it will be heard across the galaxy. Picard asks the professor if he can sleep on it. "Dream not of today", he tells the captain. Picard briefly mulls it over while talking to Dr. Crusher, but knows that he can never leave the Enterprise, despite the tempting offer. He informs Galen that he cannot go with him, and receives a bitter rebuke from his former teacher, who immediately leaves on a shuttlecraft for his next destination. Not long after, the Enterprise receives a distress call from Galen's shuttle, as it is under attack by a Yridian vessel. They barely retrieve the professor and destroy his attackers. Unfortunately, Galen dies in sickbay – telling Picard with his last breath that his earlier rebuke had been too harsh. Act Two Data discovers that Galen tried to protect certain files in his computer system when the Yridians attacked. However, without anything to narrow their search, it will be almost impossible to discover what the number blocks actually mean. Picard abandons the ship's current diplomatic timeline to the planet Atalia VII to follow the clues in the number blocks listed in Galen's database. After mulling over the data, stumped, they finally realize that his course had taken him through a star system with no current inhabitants, but with a planet, Ruah IV, capable of sustaining life. Picard recalls that Galen was planning to head to Indri VIII on his archaeological expedition. Picard believes here is some connection between the two planets and he intends to find it. When the Enterprise arrives at Indri VIII, they find the planet's atmosphere being destroyed, killing all life on the planet. Picard asks if they can prevent the destruction but Worf announces that the effect is global; they cannot stop it. Act Three In a science lab, Crusher and Picard discover that the number blocks from Galen's database are actually DNA strands from 19 different species. Crusher has all the DNA strands combined together by protein link compatibility. It forms a strange shape that Picard and Crusher cannot identify. In engineering, Commander La Forge tells Picard and Crusher that it is not part of a natural design but rather an algorithm, suggesting that it is part of some kind of program. Picard, Data, Crusher and La Forge cannot determine what the purpose of the program is or why someone designed it apparently 4 billion years before. La Forge has tried every DNA material in the Enterprise s database to run the program but they cannot find any compatible protein combinations. Picard muses on this computer program designed by an apparently advanced civilization four billion years ago. "Whatever information this program contains could be the most profound discovery of our time... or the most dangerous. The professor knew that." In Picard's ready room, he remembers Galen telling him earlier that he was in the neighborhood near Kurl. Crusher suggests he was in the Kurlan system collecting DNA samples. Picard, while looking through a PADD, finds that only one planet in the Kurlan system is capable of supporting life: Loren III. Picard has the Enterprise proceed to Loren III at maximum warp where they are immediately confronted by two Cardassian warships, prepared to attack in order to protect the planet for only their scientific mission. Immediately, a Klingon attack cruiser decloaks, making the situation all the more tense. Act Four Picard decides to invite the commanding officers of each vessel to the Enterprise to discuss the situation. He plays his cards, relating that the Enterprise crew has determined that Galen's research leads them to believe that a computer program has been written and scattered throughout the galaxy, being stored in the genetic code of organisms on certain planets. An uneasy truce is forged between the three powers so as to share the data the three factions contain. However, chief engineer La Forge discovers that the Enterprise s defensive systems have been tampered with – rightfully anticipating deception on the part of the Cardassians, Picard and Klingon captain Nu'Daq decide to tamper with their data a bit prior to the meeting. All three factions meet on the Enterprise to view the star chart inferred by the data points. Immediately, Gul Ocett transports off of the Enterprise and begins firing on both the Klingon vessel and the Enterprise. Act Five The Enterprise makes a good show of being damaged, and then heads to the proper coordinates with Nu'Daq. Once at the final planet, Vilmor II, they transport to the surface to take tricorder measurements of lichen growing in an ancient seabed. Suddenly, the Romulans appear, insisting that everyone leave the premises. Covertly, the away team takes readings of the lichen, and find their tricorder reconfigured to display a holographic image of a humanoid, explaining that her civilization existed in the galaxy alone, billions of lonely years before any of the others developed. As such, they spread their genetic material to other planets, in the hopes of creating a rich ecosystem of humanoids who could fulfill the joys of finding and integrating with alien cultures that these first beings never had. Most parties seem disgusted at the thought of a common progenitor. Back on board the Enterprise, Picard receives an unexpected message from the Romulan commander. In light of the recent events, he expresses his opinion that Humans and Romulans are not so dissimilar after all, and hopes that one day, the two powers could stand together in friendship. Memorable quotes "When finished... and I announce my findings, it will be heard halfway across the galaxy." : - Richard Galen, to Picard on his discovery "Dream not of today." : - Professor Richard Galen, to Picard "If I go, I go for ''good... and it's not something that I'm prepared to do." : - '''Picard' reluctantly refuses Galen's offer to join him on his archaeology mission "Will you come with me?" "...I can't." "Then I'll be going." : - Galen and Picard "Jean-Luc... I was too harsh." : - Richard Galen s dying words "Until we assemble it, we will never know its purpose." "He's right. As far as we know it might just be a recipe for biscuits!" "Biscuits? If that's what you believe, then go back to Cardassia, I will send you my mother's recipe." : - Picard, Gul Ocett, and Nu'Daq "My upper spinal support is a polyalloy designed for extreme stress. My skull is composed of cortenide and duranium." : - Data, explaining to Nu'Daq why he was unaffected by a Klingon head-butt "A being of your abilities would go far in the Empire." "You are attempting to bribe me." : - Nu'Daq tries to get Data to reveal the results of the combined DNA samples to him before anyone else "That's '''all!?' If she were not dead, I would kill her!" : - '''Nu'Daq', expressing his disappointment about the message "It would seem that we are not completely dissimilar after all; in our hopes, or in our fears." "Yes..." "Well then perhaps, one day..." "...one day..." : - Romulan Captain to Picard Background information Story and production ]] * The final draft script was submitted on . * The premise of "The Chase" was inspired by Carl Sagan's novel , in which clues to the nature of the universe are discovered in a long calculation of Pi. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) * It would take over a year for Joe Menosky and Ronald D. Moore's premise to be written into a workable script. Early drafts were in the manic mood of , but were shelved for being "too cartoony". The original story would have involved a Vulcan scientist not personally involved with any of the characters. Along with the Klingons and Romulans, this version also included the Ferengi. As Moore recalled, "Riker beams over into this cramped little tiny shuttle, where everyone's yelling and trying to find things and the guy's dead. And then they zip away, and we're off an running with ''It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. It would have been a lot more comedic." Michael Piller and Rick Berman felt this lacked sufficient character – that there was no real motivation for Picard to join in the chase. It was only with the addition of the death of Picard's mentor that Piller and Berman were sold on the idea. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion; ''Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * Moore stated that he'd considered, but intentionally did not specify, that the Ancient humanoids were the Preservers from . He added, "but this ''could be them and be internally consistent." (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) * Salome Jens went on to play the recurring role of the Female Changeling in ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. John Cothran, Jr. went on to play Telok in and Gralik Durr in . * Director Jonathan Frakes was disappointed at not being able to shoot outside. "I think it does look like 'Planet Hell', but that's the way it goes. The money was being spent across the street [at ''Deep Space Nine]. I don't think it's a secret." However, set designer Richard James noted that it was impossible to shoot outside, as the crew had been unable to find a salt flat without vegetation, as the episode demanded. (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * When it appeared that the episode would run short, Ronald D. Moore added a scene in which Mr. Mot is tested by Dr. Crusher as one of the 17 crew members said to come from non-Federation worlds, but this was cut from the final episode. This scene would have thus established that Bolarus IX is not a Federation member. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) The script for this episode, including the deleted scene, can be found . However the apparently Bolian ambassador would seem to contradict that assertion in . * The final episode contains no explanation for the destruction of the Yridian ship attacking Galen's shuttle following a single phaser blast from the Enterprise. However, the original teleplay contains a line by Data immediately following the ship's destruction that explains this ("The Yridian vessel was overloading its power generators. That, combined with the phaser blast, caused it to explode"). Yet, even the original teleplay does not explain exactly why the ship was overloading its power generators. * A similar playable story with the same title is featured in the video game ''Star Trek: Encounters, only involving racing Culluh for the answer to the genetic puzzle. * First UK airdate: 22 November 1995 Continuity * As noted in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, this episode marks the first time that Humans, Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians appear in the same episode. * This episode is the first to mention one of Deep Space 9's sister deep space stations, in this case Deep Space 4. * Several sources, including the Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion, state that this episode marks the first appearance of a Cardassian female on Star Trek. This honor actually belongs to , where Gul Madred's daughter, Jil Orra, appears. Ocett is, however, the only female with a rank of Gul ever mentioned or seen in any episode of any Star Trek series. * Despite Picard's obvious delight at being given the [[Kurlan naiskos|Kurlan naiskos]] in this episode, he casually discards it among the wreckage of the Enterprise-D in , in favor of the Picard family album. * The concept of this episode was recycled in the videogame Star Trek: Encounters, with the Enterprise-D being replaced by the , and the competing races being melded into one – the Kazon. * This episode reveals that seventeen people aboard the Enterprise are from non-Federation planets. This count probably includes Worf, Ro Laren (assuming she had not yet left for Advanced Tactical Training), the unnamed Bajoran security guard seen briefly in , and possibly Guinan. It is interesting to note that Mot is one of these individuals according to a deleted scene included in the Season Six Blu-ray set. This suggests that Bolians were not yet part of the Federation at this time. Reception * The production staff dubbed this the most "Roddenberry-esque" TNG episode. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion) * Jonathan Frakes remarked, "The speech that Salome Jens makes at the end would make Roddenberry very proud I think. It's a great cast and it's wonderful to have all those villains and aliens in one place." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * However, Rick Berman was not overawed by the finished episode. "Conceptually, it's very interesting. I always had some problems with dealing with the whole idea of these kind of prehistoric creatures who are the fathers of us all. It's not Roddenberry-esque, it's very sixties Roddenberry-esque." (Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages) * The episode was previewed at the 1993 StarFest Convention in Denver, Colorado, to generally favorable reaction. Video and DVD releases *UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 73, catalog number VHR 2731, *As part of the TNG Season 6 DVD collection Links and references Starring * Patrick Stewart as Capt. Jean-Luc Picard * Jonathan Frakes as Cmdr. William Riker Also starring * LeVar Burton as Lt. Cmdr. Geordi La Forge * Michael Dorn as Lieutenant Worf * Gates McFadden as Dr. Beverly Crusher * Marina Sirtis as Counselor Deanna Troi * Brent Spiner as Lt. Commander Data Guest stars * Salome Jens as ancient humanoid * John Cothran, Jr. as Nu'Daq * Maurice Roëves as Romulan captain * Linda Thorson as Ocett Special appearance by * Norman Lloyd as Professor Galen Co-star * Majel Barrett as Computer Voice Uncredited co-stars * Lena Banks as Romulan officer * Steven Boz as operations division ensign * Tracee Lee Cocco as Jae * Gerard David, Jr. as operations division ensign * Debra Dilley as command division ensign * Grace Harrell as civilian * Christie Haydon as command division ensign * Gary Hunter as science division officer * Michael Moorehead as science division ensign * Keith Rayve as civilian * S. Reed as Burton * Sissy Sessions as operations division officer * Leatrim Stang as Romulan officer * Unknown performers as ** Cardassian officer ** Command division ensign (voice) ** Female civilian ** Female science division officer ** Klingon officer (voice) ** Operations division officer ** Operations division officer ** Romulan officer ** Ten Forward waiter ** Ten Forward waitress ** Transporter officer (voice) Stand-ins * David Keith Anderson - stand-in for LeVar Burton * Carl David Burks - stand-in for Brent Spiner * Michael Echols - stand-in for Michael Dorn * Nora Leonhardt - stand-in for Marina Sirtis * Lorine Mendell - stand-in for Gates McFadden * Richard Sarstedt - stand-in for Jonathan Frakes * Dennis Tracy - stand-in for Patrick Stewart References Al-Leyan transport; archeology; archaeologist; arboretum; Atalia VII (Atalia system); attack cruiser; B'aht Qul challenge; biological database; biosphere; biscuit; bribery; Caere; Cardassia; Cardassian; Cardassian war vessel; centurion; class M; Deep Space 4; DNA; Earth; earthworks; emitter diode; Federation; Fifth Dynasty; final exam; ; genus; goose; Indri VIII; Indri system; inertial damper; jigsaw puzzle; Klingon; Klingon Empire; Kurl (Kurlan system); Kurlan; [[Kurlan naiskos|Kurlan naiskos]]; L-class; level 3 diagnostic; level 4 security; lichen; Loren III (Loren system); ''Maht-H'a'', IKS; M'Tell; Master of Tarquin Hill; medical tricorder; micropaleontology; monument; number one; ; plasma reaction; proto-hominid; province; Rahm-Izad (Rahm-Izad system); Roman; Roman Empire; Romulan; Romulus; Ruah IV (Ruah system); Satarran; ; scholar; Sector 21459; Sothis III; tricorder; Troy; type 7 shuttlecraft; unnamed shuttle; Vilmor II (Vilmoran system); Volterra Nebula; ; Vulcan ship; Ya'Seem; Yash-El; Yridian; Yridian destroyer Other references USS Enterprise Personnel Database: Aaamazzara; Alpha Carinae I; Alpha Cygnus II; ; ; ; ; ; Delos IV; ; Eminiar VII; ; Gamma Trianguli IV; ; ; ; ; ; Regulus V; Rigel VI; Selcundi Drema; Sherman's Planet; ; Sigma Draconis system; ; Taurus I; Therbia; Triacus; Triskelion Prime; ; Tycho IV; ; Xendi Sabu II; Unreferenced material Aolian Cluster; Kea IV; macchiato; Mot External links * * * |next= }} de:Das fehlende Fragment es:The Chase fr:The Chase (épisode) ja:命のメッセージ（エピソード） nl:The Chase pl:The Chase Chase, The